The primary goal of this Animal Core is to develop new mouse models of craniofacial and dentition disorders as a resource to the scientific community. We will also collaborate with other investigators in this disorders as a resource to the scientific community. We will also collaborate with other investigators in this Comprehensive Oral Health Research Center of Discovery (COHRCD) to enhance the mouse model aspects of the COHRCD. We will discover and characterize (genetically and phenotypically) new spontaneous mouse mutations to provide the scientific community with model systems for research on facial and skull development and for models of specific human craniofacial syndromes. We will collaborate with other investigators in the COHRCD to provide additional expertise on the mouse (Projects II and III), compare phenotypes of new mutant mice with human disorders (Clinical Core), and announce newly developed mutants for the Center web page (Education/Informatics Core). Mice carrying mutations that alter developmental pathways or metabolic functions provide model systems for analyzing the defects in comparable human disorders and for testing methods of therapeutic intervention. Spontaneous mouse mutations are identified on the basis of a biomedically relevant phenotype and can lead to the discovery of novel gens involved in craniofacial and dental development and morphology. Mutant mice from the strains will be distributed to the scientific community on a fee-for-mice basis.